Gasol and A Beef With Draft Prognosticators

I'm kind of late with it (thanks to my daughter's birthday and poker), but the big news in the NBA lately, more so than Phoenix's dominant 17-game win streak or Dallas having lost like twice in 30 games, is Pau Gasol wanting out of Memphis. The ramifications this trade would have on the rest of the league are immeasurable.

Gasol is one of the only true post presences in a league overcome by great perimeter players. Not too many players in the league can start on any team (if he went to Houston or Miami he'd be playing four). Everybody wants him, but, as is always the case, only a few can afford him and even fewer that that have anything good to offer in return.

I agree with the link up top that says the Chicago Bulls are the front-runners. They have a ton more to offer. Not only do they have Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon, but they can also offer cap relief in P.J. Brown as well as a high pick in the first round of this year's draft, which by the way is loaded with potential. The Grizzlies would be insane to look elsewhere, because the Bulls have everything they could possibly want.

From the Bulls standpoint, sure you would have to at least lose either Deng, Hinrich, Nocioni, or Gordon, but the pay-off would be worth every penny. Wallace and Gasol in the front court? Just GIVE them the Eastern Conference championship. Defensively, you they already have the league's best shot-blocker, and Gasol's length will make interior shots virtually impossible. Offensively, the Bulls add a versatile interior presence to go along with sickness on the perimeter (if Hinrich and Gordon stay, which I think they will).

Of course, this trade might not happen before the Feb. 22 deadline, but if it does the Finals might be worth watching.


OK, so by now you know I go to Towson University (I'm actually writing this entry in the library before class). I know that gives me the right to be biased about my school's sports, but what I'm about to say doesn't include any bias:

The Tiger's Gary Neal is the best shooting guard in the country.

And he gets absolutely no pub for it.

Go to NBAdraft.net. Look for his name. It's not on the first page which basically lists the 58 players projected to go in the draft. That's OK, he goes to a small school. Look at the top prospects in the Class of 2007. Nothing. That's a tough list to crack I guess, lots of players going to big schools. Let's check one more place. Let's look at the best players by position who are eligible for the draft, focusing on shooting guards. Not in the top ten, but let's check the honorable mention. Um... now we've got a problem.

25.9 points per game. Four rebounds. Almost four assists. And not a peep from anyone, especially after finishing third in the nation in scoring last year.

Unbelievable.

I know I'm going to catch flack for this. Yes, he does go to Towson, a mid-major Division I school in a mid-major conference. But, some things just can't be ignored. The NBA Draft is all about picking up someone who you think will succeed on the NBA level. Neal is 6-4, and while he may be undersized as a two guard in the league, he's taller than Ben Gordon, Allen Iverson, and Gilbert Arenas. I'm not saying he's on the same level, but I don't think there's anyone on the college level who can shut him down. He's a great shooter (though his three point numbers this year are down), and he can score off the dribble. You cannot stop him. I definitely think that if you put him on Maryland, he'd fare better than D.J. Strawberry (who's listed as a second round choice) because he can score more consistently.

So, without his consent, I'm going to start the "Gary Neal in the NBA" campaign. You heard it here first.